Choice is Ours

Come elections and for our netas it is time for desertions, new alliances, name calling, allegations, counter-allegations, back-stabbing, party hopping and making lofty promises they have no intention to honour. 

It is also the time to give a go by to the real issues that the country needs to sort out and whip up frenzies to mislead the common man.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s “boys will be boys, can’t hang rapists” comment at an election rally in Moradabad a couple of days ago is proof of the sick mind-set many of our politicians have and the abysmal depths they can stoop down to when it comes to garnering votes.

Not only did he make the highly objectionable remark and express his displeasure and disagreement with the death sentence awarded by court to three of the accused found guilty in the Mumbai’s infamous Shakti mill case, but also promised to amend the country’s anti rape laws to make them more lenient, if his party was voted to power in the on-going general elections.

Yadav’s statement has expectedly drawn widespread condemnation. He was clearly attempting to lure criminals into his party fold, already drawing flak for incompetent governance and poor law and order situation during its current two year rule in Uttar Pradesh. People must give his party the treatment it deserves when they go to their polling booth.

As BJP’s prospects brighten up and Congress appears set to make an inglorious exit after UPA’s second tenure known more for financial scams than for governance; India’s perpetual woes like corruption, unemployment, unsustainable population, high fiscal deficit, development, lack of infrastructure, poor law and order situation, poverty, illegal Bangladeshi immigrants etc., which everybody talks about all the time but nobody has any answers to; have suddenly been abandoned by all non NDA parties, threat to “secularism” being the new one point agenda and Narendra Modi the singular target.

At election rallies, BSP’s Mayawati has been telling people that there will be widespread riots across the country if Modi comes to power. Rahul Gandhi (Congress) has been accusing Modi of attempting to promote communalism while Nitish Kumar (JDU), Laloo Prasad (RJD), Mamta Banerji (TMC), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Ajit Singh (RLD) and leaders of other UPA parties are calling him anti-Muslim.

Nitish and Mamta were also seen sharing dais with persons wanted by police for criminal offences at their election rallies. Congress candidate from Saharanpur in UP Imran Masood threatened to cut Modi to pieces during his campaign. Even Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), it seems, has abandoned his anti-corruption and clean politics stance and is reportedly in the process of striking a deal with don Mukhtar Ansari to get Muslim votes for himself in Varanasi.

Despite the fact that Supreme Court has given him the clean chit, Modi’s political opponents are telling people that he alone is responsible for the 2002 Gujarat communal riots. This, in fact, appears to be the only point that the so called “secular” parties seem to drive home as they keep repeating it over and over again at their election rallies and meetings in their bid to exhort Muslims to cast their vote en-bloc against the BJP.

No mention, though,  is made of the worst communal riots in our history in 1947 on either side of partition, 1984 anti-Sikh, 1969 Ahmedabad, 1983 Assam, 1964 Rourkela & Jamshedpur, 1980 Moradabad, 1989 Bhagalpur, 1993 Mumbai and countless other riots under Congress rule; Muzaffarnagar 2013 and at least two dozen more elsewhere in UP during the last two years of Samajwadi Party rule; or the brutal killing and rape of Kashmiri Pandits and their subsequent “ethnic cleansing” from their homeland forced by Islamic fundamentalists in 1989 under National Front rule. Incidentally, 1984 riots were also disgracefully justified with “big tree falls” remark by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

No reference is also made of the fact that post 2012, no communal disturbances have occurred in Gujarat or how the state has developed under Modi’s rule. Moreover, BJP ruled states are relatively more peaceful and better administered than those governed by other parties.

Also omitted is the fact that the six year NDA rule from 1998 to 2004 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a rare period of internal peace, economic growth and consolidation, unprecedented infrastructural planning and execution – be it National Highways, Delhi Metro or new airports; during which the country also successfully conducted peaceful nuclear test and won the proxy war in Kargil forced upon us by Pakistan.

It is up to us thus, the common citizens of this country, to ponder before we cast our votes.

We have to understand that the self-appointed guardians of “secularism” show their concern only for Muslims to ensure that they remain their captive vote bank to be cashed at the polling booth, other minorities totally ignored as they cannot be used thus.

We also have to understand that most political parties have no inner party democracy and are run like family owned shops. Brothers, sisters, wives, daughters, sons and relatives are fielded as candidates; kith and kin mint money by way of contracts, bribes and kickbacks if they get to participate in the government; while the cheated voter awaits fulfilment of promises made to him in vain. We have allowed our netas to fool us for far too long.

We must likewise remember that the Constitution of India, which guarantees justice, liberty and equality to all of us irrespective of our caste, creed, sex or religion, is to be strictly adhered to by the person who takes oath as the country’s Prime Minister. He does not act alone but collectively as per the decisions of the Cabinet. Additionally, he is answerable to the Legislature and Judiciary, besides being under constant media scrutiny.

Amid such situation, who do we give our mandate to? To those playing the caste and communal cards, to those in league with criminals, those promising freebies and more quotas, the corrupt, deceivers, self-seekers, medieval, or the ones with a proven track record and who can be trusted for deliverance?

The choice is ours.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 15/04/2014)

Over 200 seats for BJP means support for Modi: Vinod Mehta

A congregation of social activists, school children, scribes and eminent citizens of Doon had a rare stimulating intellectual interaction on Sunday with celebrated editor Vinod Mehta as he delivered a candid talk on his understanding of the current political scene in the country.

Hosted by Garhwal Post at St. Joseph’s Academy, the tête-à-tête was informal, simple and to the point - no ifs and buts.

Though an ardent supporter of Congress, Mehta feels that the winds of political change have been blowing in the country for many months now and the people of India made up their minds long ago to vote Congress party out of power in the 2014 general elections. People are angry with the incumbent government and the extent of the people’s wrath will be reflected in the final tally of seats.

As he has been saying for the past few months now, Mehta feels that BJP’s Narendra Modi is set to assume office as the country’s Prime Minister next month. If the BJP gets less than 200 seats, it will mean that the vote is for the party while anything over that would mean that people have voted for Modi. He, however, has doubts on Modi’s ability to carry with him all the religious minorities of the country. Mehta also disclosed that he has two ongoing cases in courts against Modi.

BJP, he said, was flush with funds as was evident in its aggressive advertisement blitz. Congress, on the other hand, seemed to be heading for its worst ever performance, with a strong possibility of failing to reach even the three figure mark. There also seemed to be voices within the Congress to give a larger role to Priyanka as Rahul appeared to be not only a reluctant leader but also not fit for the grind of Indian politics.

Mehta was also critical of the hate campaign speech by Congress candidate from Saharanpur in UP Imran Masood wherein he said that he would cut Narendra Modi to pieces if he attempted to turn UP into Gujarat. He also blamed the media, particularly television, for showing the objectionable clip repeatedly thereby making the situation graver.

The interactive session that followed was lively too.

Renu D. Singh, eminent lawyer and social worker, asked whether women-specific issues and participation of women in politics will get a boost should Narendra Modi become the Prime Minister, Mehta said though he did not foresee anything dramatic happening, yet things could change for the better if a dynamic person like Sushma Swaraj heads the ministry for Women and Child Development.

Several school children wanted to know what he thought of Arvind Kejriwal and his ill-fated government in Delhi, to which he said Kejriwal was a good protester but did not have a clue to governance and hence could not run his government. Mehta answered several other queries from the audience amid cheering and applause.

All in all it was an absorbing and fruitful session.

Eminent citizen Dr. S. Farooq welcomed Vinod Mehta with a bouquet of flowers.

Satish Sharma was the master of ceremonies.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 07/04/2014)